Car-coupling



(No Model.)

J. POTTER & J. W. & W. M. HESS.

OAR GOUPLING.

No. 371,623. Patented Oct. 18, 1887.

WITNESSES INVENTOR t N. PETERS, Phulo-Lflhngnpher, wmhmgu me.

NITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

JONAS POTTER, JOHN XV. HESS, AND WVILLIAM M. HESS, OF MORRELLVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-=COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No 371,623, dated October 18, 1887.

Serial No. 229,457. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JONAS POTTER, JOHN W. Hnss, and WILLIAM M. Hess, all of Mon rellville, in the county of Oambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Car-Coupling, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Our invention relates to an improvement in car-couplings, and has for its object to pro vide a coupler ofsimple construction capable of coupling with an opposing coupler ofgreater or less height, and whereby the coupling-pin may be held out of engagement with the link when it is desired to shunt a car by bumping or to drive a car forward or back upon the track and not effect a coupling.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is tobe had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of opposing couplers in acoupled position with one drawhead in section. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a single coupler. Fig. 3 is a perspective detail View of the pin.

It is the aim of this inventiouto provide a coupler with a minimum number of parts and to so modify the construction of the several parts employed that strength and durability will be combined with simplicity, and also provide a coupler wherein a car may be quickly and readily coupled or uncoupled from the sides or platform and simultaneously with uncoupling,or at any desired time,the pin may be retained in a horizontal position, leaving the link-opening entirely unobstructed. To that end the draw-head A, which is secured to the car in any approved manner, is provided with a decided bell mouth, a, and a link-opening, B, extending centrally through the said drawhead a greater distance than usual to the rear, as shown in Fig. 1. The draw-head A is provided at a suitable distance from the front with a central transverse slot, D, adapted to extend from top to bottom, the forward wall, d, of

which slot is made to incline from the top downward and rearward.

The coupling-pin E is provided with a narrow or contracted head, e, and an enlarged and weighty body, 6. The rear edge ofthe body is made straight, and at the intersection of said body with the head a recess, F, is formed, as illustrated in Fig. The lower end, f, ofthe said pin-body is more or less semieireular,and the forward side, f, thereof is projected at an angle upward and outward and curved inward at the top to a union with the head. Within the upper enlarged portion of the pin-body 6 thus formed near the outer edge an elongated horizontal slot, G, is cut,and the pin E is pivoted in the transverse slot D of the draw-head by a pin, 9, extending horizontally through said draw-head and through the said pin-aperture G.

It will be observed that as the pin is pivoted forward of the central longitudinal axis of the body and near the top, and that as the preponderance of weight is below and to the rear of the pivotal point, the pin is normally kept in contact with the forward inclined side of the pin-aperture. Thus should the pin come in en gagement with the link of an opposing coupler it will allow the said link to pass and immediately return to its normal position.

A rod, H, is held in bearings transversely the car above the draw-head, provided with a central crank, h, opposite the rear upper edge of the coupling-pin,and crank-arms h at each side of the car.

In operation, when it is desired to uncouple, one end crankarni, h, is turned rearward, which brings the central crank-arm, h, in contact with the pinhead, carrying the said head forward, as indicated by dotted lines and arrow in Fig. 1. As the said central crank-arm reaches a horizontal position, the pin assumes an equivalent position, and the arm h,.engaging the recess F, rests therein, retaining the coupling-pin in its horizontal position until released by a reverse turn of either crank h.

The further operation of the coupler will be readily understood from the accompanying drawings, taken in connection with the fore going description.

Having thus fully described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination, with the draw-head A, provided with a link-opening, B, and a transverse vertical slot, D, having an inclined forward wall, d,ofa coupling-pin, E,provided with an enlarged body, e, provided with an inclined forward edge, f, and reduced head e, having a recess, F, in its rear edge, the said pin pivoted forward of its center in said draw-head, and means for carrying and retaining the pin in a horizontal position, substantially as shown and described. y

2. The combination, with the draw-head A, provided with a link-opening, B, and a trans verse vertical slot, D, having an inclined forward wall, cl, and a coupling-pin, E, pivoted forward its center in the said slot D, provided with an enlarged body, 6, having an inclined forward edge, f, and a reduced head, e, having a recess, F, in its rear edge, of, the rod H, operated from the sides of the car,and provided with a central crank-arm, h, adapted to engage said pin-recess F, substantially as shown and described, and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. In a car-coupling, a coupling-pin provided with an enlarged and weighted body, 0', having a semicircular base, f, an upwardlyinclined forward edge, f, and an elongated aperture, G, forward the center, and a contr'acted head, 0, provided with a recess, F, in its rear edge at the intersection with the said body e, substantially as shown and described, and for the purpose herein set forth.

JONAS POTTER. JOHN W. HESS.- WVILLIAM M. HESS.

Witnesses:

DAVID S. BURKHART, PHILIP G. JoNEs. 

